Planet Zebes

Planet Zebes
Planet Zebes in Super Smash Bros.
Universe	Metroid
Appears in	SSB
Availability	Starter
Music Bolded tracks must be unlocked Super Smash Bros. Planet Zebes Stage
Tournament legality Super Smash Bros. Singles: Banned (US ruleset and Japanese ruleset) Doubles: Banned
Article on Metroid Wiki	Zebes

“	Anyone who touches the ebbing and flowing sea of acid on the planet's surface will be severely damaged.	”
—Super Smash Bros. instruction manual

Planet Zebes (惑星ゼーベス, Planet Zebes) serves as the lone Metroid installment stage for Super Smash Bros. Its environment rapidly changes due to the rising and falling acid.

This is the home stage of Samus Aran. It is also considered Captain Falcon's home stage, as he is fought here to be unlocked.

Stage overview

Full view of Planet Zebes from Smash 64.

Planet Zebes consists of a rough, jagged base, three main platforms (one of which is sloped at an angle), and one smaller platform ascending and descending to the far right of the stage. Hazardous acid surges below, periodically submerging most of the base and two of the three platforms, though never rising high enough to reach the topmost platform.

Touching the acid results in damage and high knockback, capably KOing a player if their damage meter is high; it can, however, also be used strategically as a means of salvage if risen enough. In the event a player is knocked off the stage and into the acid, it will launch them skyward, allowing them to reuse their recovery or simply fall back onto the stage. Obtaining a Starman (or any form of strong knockback resistance or immunity) grants invulnerability to the acid, allowing the player to walk through it with no obstruction. However, if, while invincible, the player falls off the stage and through the acid, they will self-destruct; it will not "bump" the player back up, as they are immune to its burn.

Wavers and Ridley can occasionally be observed in the background.

When the player fights False Samus in The Great Maze, the stage resembles Planet Zebes, though the colors and background are different.

Origin

A room in Brinstar from Metroid featuring yellow acid.

Although not drawing homage to any particular game, this stage is based on Zebes, the planet on which Metroid and Super Metroid are set. A clear reference is the yellow acid featured in some rooms in Metroid. The rising and falling acid is a reference to Super Metroid, wherein the lava in some Norfair and Tourian rooms would rise after earthquakes. The stage's platforms, composed of green bubbles with red highlights, are a direct reference to the aesthetics of Norfair in both games.

Ridley, who appears in the majority of Metroid games as a reoccurring boss, occasionally flies in the background, along with Wavers. Both Ridley and the Wavers are based on their sprites in Super Metroid.

Tournament legality

The stage is commonly banned in N64 Backroom tournaments, mostly because of the acid that interferes with usual gameplay, due to being able to star KO at unexpected moments and covering up parts of the stage, forcing opponents to run and jump to avoid it. This can also cause the fighting space on the stage to become extremely small. In addition, the occasionally awkward camera angles making gameplay more difficult for most. However, the stage is sometimes allowed in non-official tournaments on behalf of its size, ideal for aerial combos. It is also occasionally allowed as a counterpick over Peach's Castle due to the larger size.

Gallery

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  Ridley in Planet Zebes

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  Waver in Planet Zebes

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	惑星ゼーベス	Planet Zebes
English	Planet Zebes	—
French	Planète Zebes	Planet Zebes
German	Planet Zebes	—
Chinese	泽贝斯行星	Planet Zebes

Trivia

• Planet Zebes and Sector Z are the only Smash 64 stages to not return in any future game, having been functionally replaced by Brinstar and Corneria respectively. Because of this, Samus is paired with Yoshi during Jigglypuff's Classic Mode route in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.